Has anyone rented a bike in Bayeux to ride to Omaha Beach and other D-Day memorial sites? We will be in Paris 1st week of October and I am thinking of renting e-bikes from Bayeux for a one day self tour of the beaches and memorial sites. We have e-bikes here at home and are very experienced riders. Thanks for any responses.
Posted by
Middletown, RI
1436 posts
I have not, but it sounds interesting. You should be aware that Google Maps show this being an hour+ ride just to Omaha Beach (3+ to Utah), and those roads have non-existent breakdown lanes and most are fairly narrow. So you would have to be very comfortable riding very close to the edge with cars very close beside you.
Posted by
Normandie
535 posts
Actually, the French driving law (le Code de la Route) specifies a passing distance of 1.5 meters between an automobile and a bicyclist outside of cities, and 1 meter within cities and towns.
And most French motorists observe that rule. Many give even more. French drivers are very accustomed to bicyclists on roads, even winding, narrow, hedgerow-lined roads typical of Normandie. And they observe the rule.
Bicycling is very popular and common even in rainy Normandie.
Riding such roads on a bicycle is not as difficult as one might think.